Azam punish Singida as home woes on streak

SINGIDA: AZAM FC secured a 2-1 away victory over Singida Black Stars at Airtel Stadium in Singida yesterday, with all three goals coming in a dramatic second-half showdown.

The result marks another unexpected home defeat for Singida Black Stars, who continue to struggle on their own turf, having previously fallen 2–1 to Simba and suffered a heavy 3–0 loss to Young Africans.

It is now a third consecutive home match without victory, a worrying trend for the hosts as they have been seeking to regain lost consistency.

For Azam, the victory lifts them into second place with 32 points from 16 matches, narrowing the gap to six points behind leaders Yanga, who have played the same number of games. They also move one point clear of Simba, although the latter still hold two matches in hand.

For Singida Black Stars, they remain sixth with 25 points from 16 games. The contest quickly settled into an open, endto-end affair, with both the hosts and the visitors committing bodies forward.

Each side looked to exploit the width, utilising their wingers and overlapping full-backs to stretch the opposition and create openings. Singida Black Stars made a lively start and nearly seized the initiative as early as the seventh minute.

A teasing delivery from the left by Ayub Lyanga picked out Elvis Rupia, who controlled neatly with his feet before directing a header goalwards. However, Azam’s alert goalkeeper Zuberi Foba had already advanced off his line, producing a decisive challenge that denied the striker a chance to break the deadlock.

ALSO READ: Simba brace for tough test against Coastal Union

Azam registered the first clear opportunity in the 35th minute when Lusajo Mwaikenda unleashed a fierce low drive, only to be thwarted by the Singida Black Stars goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, who reacted sharply to keep the scores level.

Neither side was able to find the breakthrough before the interval, and the first half concluded goalless. The second period, however, proved far less forgiving for the home side.

Azam took the lead in the 50th minute through a well-worked move down the right. Idd Selemani delivered a precise low cross across the face of the goal, and Lusajo Mwaikenda timed his run perfectly to meet it, guiding a first-time effort into the net.

Azam doubled their advantage in the 64th minute, with Feisal Salum applying the finishing touch. A slick passing move carved open the Singida defence, allowing Salum to surge into space inside the box before calmly dispatching a low shot beyond the goalkeeper. To their credit, Singida Black Stars refused to capitulate and pulled a goal back in the 70th minute. From a set-piece, Ande Koffi’s free-kick delivery found Lyanga in the area, and he rose well to head home, reducing the deficit and setting up a tense finale.